What Is Renal Cell Carcinoma?

Renal cell
carcinoma, also called kidney cancer, occurs when cancer cells form in the
tubules of the kidney. Tubules are tiny tubes in the kidney that help filter
waste products from the blood in order to make urine.

Kidney cancer
is the seventh most common cancer in men and the ninth most common in women in
the United States, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Risk factors include smoking,
hypertension, obesity and hepatitis C.

How Is It Diagnosed?

Among the
first signs of kidney cancer is blood in the urine. Sometimes a lump can be
felt in the abdomen. To diagnose kidney cancer, a doctor will perform a
physical exam and order imaging tests, such as an ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI.

Your doctor
will order a urinalysis and other lab work if they suspect cancer or other
kidney disease. If a suspicious mass is detected, a biopsy will be done to look
for malignant cells.

Early Stages of Kidney Cancer

Once kidney
cancer cells are identified, your medical team will determine the stage of the
cancer. The stage is based on how much or how little the cancer has spread.

Stage 1 means the cancer is only in the kidney
and that the tumor is 7 cm long or smaller. Stage 2 means the cancer is still contained to the kidney, but the
tumor is larger than 7 cm.

When Kidney Cancer Metastasizes

Kidney cancer
spreads through blood, lymph nodes, or the tissue near the original cancer
cells. Stages 3 and 4 indicate that the cancer has metastasized, or spread
to other parts of the body.

In stage 3, the cancer is also present in a lymph
node near the kidney or in a main kidney blood vessel or fatty tissue around
the kidney. Stage 4 means the cancer
has spread to another organ or other lymph nodes or tissue.

Factors Affecting Prognosis

Your overall
health is a key factor for predicting your prognosis after being diagnosed with
kidney cancer. Kidney cancer patients tend to be older, which also affects
survival rates.

But the biggest
factor affecting a kidney cancer prognosis is the stage of the disease when
it’s diagnosed. Chances of survival are much better if the disease is caught before
it has spread and can be removed surgically from the kidney.

Survival Rates and Life Expectancy

Survival
rates for renal cell carcinoma are based on the percentage of people who live
at least five years after the cancer is discovered. The percentages are
determined by the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis.

Treatment Options

Treatment for
kidney cancer depends on the stage of the cancer. If the tumor is small and the
patient is eligible for surgery, a partial nephrectomy
may be possible. This operation spares the kidney, but removes the tumor and
some of the surrounding tissue. A full nephrectomy, in which an entire affected
kidney is removed, may be necessary in more severe cases.

In cases where surgery is not an option, cryoablation may be
a solution. Cryoablation is a procedure that involves the freezing of cancer
cells.

Encouraging Medication Developments

Medication
therapy is commonly used if the cancer has spread. These drugs help boost the
body’s immune system. There also have been encouraging developments with drugs
that target kidney cancer cells, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

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